Sunday, October 26, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The week that was...
14 October 2008Was at PICC for a function. The usual drill - opening ceremony, keynote address, presentations, coffee break, Q and A... How were the presenters? One particular speaker stood out above the rest. But that's story for another day. What was I doing there? Was one of the rapporteur (?! Go figure :] Nothing to do with creating rapport, btw)
16 - 18 October 2008Was in Ipoh to sort of 'chaperone' the students to another event. The students had fun competing in the events and making new friends. Our 2 days there were not in vain because we came back with some 'victories'.
Below are some pictures of the nasyid team and the elocution participants in action. Too bad couldn't take pictures of the tilawah participants.
The dashing young dudes and their coach, Khairul. Boleh buat menantu... (the boys la, not their lecturer!)
The elocution team in one of those 'rare' moments. I mean, when was the last time we saw Anisah all dolled-up in baju kebaya and Ben in batik? And the other three are not angels either ... From left: Celestine, Jihan, Anisah, Nadiah and Ben Gift.
With my Medical Electronics students - the two Afiqs, Nadiah and Celestine.
More pictures will be posted at the newly-created JPAM (siapa tau, taulah) blog soon.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Facebooking vs. Blogging
Finally jumped onto the Facebook bandwagon today. Wanted to know what all the fuss was about. So signed up and immediately got myself 4 friends (who had invited me ages ago)! He! He! Sorry guys...
How do I like facebooking? ...not as much as I like blogging. But then again, you cannot compare an apple to an orange.
Anyway since I'm already in Facebook, I'm really looking forward to hook-up with long-lost friends (if they want to be found, that is...). I hope to establish contact with those from as far back to my Montessori Kindergarten days (1975-1976); Convent Jln Birch (renamed SK Puteri and relocated) - what is left of it, is that huge eyesore of a 'pool' in the heart of Seremban (1977-1982); Jenan - actually I could easily hook-up with them via Yahoogroups! Ha! Ha! (1983-1987); UPM, as in Universiti Pertanian Malaysia - the original UPM (1988-1994) and UM (not so-lost lah sebab baru je).
In the meantime, I'll just sit back and enjoy the experience.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Selamat Hari Raya 2008
To my family, sedara mara, friends, colleagues, and readers of my blog ...
P.S. Gambaq raya tahun lepas... Didn't mean to sorok my hubby. He prefers to keep a low profile for now.
P.S. Gambaq raya tahun lepas... Didn't mean to sorok my hubby. He prefers to keep a low profile for now.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Jon's 5th Birthday
On the first day of Ramadhan we celebrated Jon's 5th. birthday. He got a chocolate cake, a Wall-E bag and robot from all of us. As it was Ramadhan, he only got to cut his cake after the break of fast. Here are other pictures of him.
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5 years old now
Make a wish!
My angels
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thai Takes - Bangkok
Finally ... could find some time to ramble about my recent Bangkok trip. Although I didn't get to explore the city much coz we were there for just 3 days, I managed to snap everything there was to snap (Blogger's Syndrome! Ha! Ha!)
Day 1
Arrived at 5.30 p.m. and checked-in the hotel.
Day 2
Basically it's checking out the hotel and the surrounding areas (Sukhumvit Road) during the day and a visit to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar in the evening.
Day 3
Took the BTS skytrain to explore the Sukhumvit-Ploenchit-Siam roads.
Unlike the city which was so like KL, the hotel was a different experience altogether. The stay at the JW Marriott was a truly Thai experience. Picture this. The moment we set foot at the hotel, we were greeted by the smiling staff in their traditional Thai attire. Once inside, some exotic aromatherapic fragrance immediately calmed our nerves. In a corner, there's a PYT playing a soothing tune on her Thai lute. While waiting for the hotel keycards, there're the clay Thai Goddess sculpture near the lift and the wood carvings on the walls to admire. As for soft scape, orchids, lotus, torch ginger, chinese bamboo decorated every nook and crany.
In the room, the fruit basket was replenished every day with the local rambutans and bananas. The soap and shampoo were also of Thai "flavour" - they were based on local herbs such as ginger, jasmine, mint, etc. The housekeeping team - with their dazzling smiles and Sawadees - showed us the best of Thai hospitality. But my favourite would have to be their fresh orange juice with a local twist. Mula-mula minum terkezut because it's not made of sunkist orange but limau hijau. Lama-lama, kinda get the hang of it - manis-manis pahit. Cuma there's one Thai experience that I can do without - their "pork" culture. Nak makan kat hotel pun was-was. Nak tak nak kenalah jadi vegetarian...
Anyway, we later discovered the many halal restaurants (serving middle-eastern, Malay and Thai fares) along the Nana Nua (Soi 3) road and back alleys. Jgn tersilap pegi Soi 4 sudah le ... I do think the Sukhumvit area is a good place to stay if you are not on a shoe-string budget. The BTS skytrain also plies this route. If you are into middle to high-end shopping, just hop into the skytrain and it will take you to places like the MBK (which is akin to Bukit Bintang Plaza), Siam Paragon (Bangkok's version of KLCC), etc. If you're into flea-market thingy like me, the Suan Lum Night Bazaar is just 10 minutes away via taxi or tuk-tuk.
Overall, I would say that my Bangkok trip was worthwhile although I didn't get to bring back any imitation branded bags! Hu! Hu! I read in the papers that the Thai government had this massive raid in December last year. Really hard to find those good quality imitation Coaches and LVs. Rasanya kat Petaling Street lagi senang jumpa ... Besides that, I also didn't get to visit the floating market, the Chatuchak Weekend Market, The Grand Palace, The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Jim Thompson's House, etc. Maybe next time (entah bilalah tu ...).
Day 1
Arrived at 5.30 p.m. and checked-in the hotel.
Day 2
Basically it's checking out the hotel and the surrounding areas (Sukhumvit Road) during the day and a visit to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar in the evening.
Day 3
Took the BTS skytrain to explore the Sukhumvit-Ploenchit-Siam roads.
Unlike the city which was so like KL, the hotel was a different experience altogether. The stay at the JW Marriott was a truly Thai experience. Picture this. The moment we set foot at the hotel, we were greeted by the smiling staff in their traditional Thai attire. Once inside, some exotic aromatherapic fragrance immediately calmed our nerves. In a corner, there's a PYT playing a soothing tune on her Thai lute. While waiting for the hotel keycards, there're the clay Thai Goddess sculpture near the lift and the wood carvings on the walls to admire. As for soft scape, orchids, lotus, torch ginger, chinese bamboo decorated every nook and crany.
In the room, the fruit basket was replenished every day with the local rambutans and bananas. The soap and shampoo were also of Thai "flavour" - they were based on local herbs such as ginger, jasmine, mint, etc. The housekeeping team - with their dazzling smiles and Sawadees - showed us the best of Thai hospitality. But my favourite would have to be their fresh orange juice with a local twist. Mula-mula minum terkezut because it's not made of sunkist orange but limau hijau. Lama-lama, kinda get the hang of it - manis-manis pahit. Cuma there's one Thai experience that I can do without - their "pork" culture. Nak makan kat hotel pun was-was. Nak tak nak kenalah jadi vegetarian...Anyway, we later discovered the many halal restaurants (serving middle-eastern, Malay and Thai fares) along the Nana Nua (Soi 3) road and back alleys. Jgn tersilap pegi Soi 4 sudah le ... I do think the Sukhumvit area is a good place to stay if you are not on a shoe-string budget. The BTS skytrain also plies this route. If you are into middle to high-end shopping, just hop into the skytrain and it will take you to places like the MBK (which is akin to Bukit Bintang Plaza), Siam Paragon (Bangkok's version of KLCC), etc. If you're into flea-market thingy like me, the Suan Lum Night Bazaar is just 10 minutes away via taxi or tuk-tuk.
Overall, I would say that my Bangkok trip was worthwhile although I didn't get to bring back any imitation branded bags! Hu! Hu! I read in the papers that the Thai government had this massive raid in December last year. Really hard to find those good quality imitation Coaches and LVs. Rasanya kat Petaling Street lagi senang jumpa ... Besides that, I also didn't get to visit the floating market, the Chatuchak Weekend Market, The Grand Palace, The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Jim Thompson's House, etc. Maybe next time (entah bilalah tu ...).
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Shopping vs Photography in Bangkok
I count shopping and photography among my interests. But I didn't know which one I loved more. My recent trip to Bangkok, however, gave me the answer. Before coming to Bangkok, I promised myself that I would take loads of pictures to be uploaded to my blog. Everything went on smoothly at first - tonnes of pictures of the airport, the skyscrappers, the hotel, people, paraphernalia even, that prompted hubby to perli: "Nak buat magazine ke?" He! He!
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Then, came the Suan Lum Night Bazaar trip. At first I was happily capturing everything with my Coolpix, but as we advanced further into the shopper's jungle, it was not the shutter clicking away but my tongue wagging (er... haggling), instead! Really, they didn't call this place a shopper's haven for nothing! Even hubby's friend got bitten by the shopping bug. Yang tak kena gigit was hubby (impenetrable!) and he soon got bored and complained of aching feet. So I suggested that he go for a foot massage ... so that I can buy more time to shop! Ngeh! Ngeh! Ngeh! (keluar tanduk!).
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Then, came the Suan Lum Night Bazaar trip. At first I was happily capturing everything with my Coolpix, but as we advanced further into the shopper's jungle, it was not the shutter clicking away but my tongue wagging (er... haggling), instead! Really, they didn't call this place a shopper's haven for nothing! Even hubby's friend got bitten by the shopping bug. Yang tak kena gigit was hubby (impenetrable!) and he soon got bored and complained of aching feet. So I suggested that he go for a foot massage ... so that I can buy more time to shop! Ngeh! Ngeh! Ngeh! (keluar tanduk!).
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Hubby would rather show his butt than his face!
When we finally got back to the hotel after 5 hours, it was then that I discovered that I had gotten more things (unplanned) compared to pictures of the place (the original plan)! I could have kicked myself! Therefore, I pledged to try harder when we go to MBK Centre this evening ...
Greetings from Bangkok
Yes folks! I'm in the Land of Smiles. Been here since Wednesday. It's really unplanned. Hubby had to attend a conference in Bangkok, so I decided to melukut di tepi gantang! Ha! Ha! Anyway, not melukut all the way lah. Hubby flew on MAS while this truly VFM freak, on AirAsia. So far, I'm enjoying every minute of my stay here though I can't say the same applies to my son Jon, who misses me very much back home (Bad Mommy!). Anyway, I will be back by tomorrow. Will definitely blog on my so-called Bangkok trip. Till then, laa gaawn na!
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in front of the entrance to Suan Lum Night Bazaar in Bangkok
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Masakan Melayu Kampung at Aunty Aini's
Eating out at Subang Jaya has never been a problem. Fast food, Mamak, Thai, Chinese and Western eateries can be found in abundance. There're also Mexican, Moghul, Japanese and Vietnamese restaurants. Places offering Malay food, especially Masakan Melayu Kampung, however, are not that many.
Where can we find Masakan Melayu Kampung in Subang Jaya? Well, there's Kak Ina's stall in SS 19, Salero Negori in SS16 and Opah in Sunway Pyramid. But if you are willing to venture a little further down to Nilai, Aunty Aini's is the place to go. I was first introduced to this place a couple of years ago by my MIL (who's related to Aunty Aini, the owner).
Where can we find Masakan Melayu Kampung in Subang Jaya? Well, there's Kak Ina's stall in SS 19, Salero Negori in SS16 and Opah in Sunway Pyramid. But if you are willing to venture a little further down to Nilai, Aunty Aini's is the place to go. I was first introduced to this place a couple of years ago by my MIL (who's related to Aunty Aini, the owner).
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The humble entrance of Aunty Aini's
The humble entrance of Aunty Aini's
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The place is easy to find. It's just along the Nilai-Salak road. Besides the fantastic food, the ambience is sure to please the Yuppies as the restaurant is nestled amids tropical flora and fauna. So like Naili's Place - minus the loud music. Here you'll hear the splashing sound of water coming from the mini fountains / water features, instead.
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You can eat under the nipah shade or opt for open-air dining under the rambutan tree! He! He!*
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There're even two wakafs (Malay gazebo), so patrons can eat the traditional way: cross-legged.
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The wakaf where Bourdain sat crossed-legged ...*
Besides Masakan Melayu Kampung, Aunty Aini's also offers Western Cuisine. I guess that's why it's a hit among all the races. I have seen foreigners, too. Of course, it's most famous "foreigner" of all time would be Anthony Bourdain ... Kenape? Tak percaya? Go to this youtube link.
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*My favourite dishes are the Ikan Jenahak Masak Tempoyak (which comes with a generous amount of gravy) and the Kerabu Pucuk Paku. Hubby likes the sambal sotong which is really hot! You really have to have lots of water and rice to down the sambal. Talking about rice ... the portion is pretty midget. You might need to order two bowls of nasi tambah ... seriously! As for the price, being a VFM (Value-for-money) freak, the price of the dishes gets my two thumbs! No service tax means you pay less for what you eat ...
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So, if you are in the vicinity (lepas tengok F1 di Litar Sepang, atau hantar relatives ke LCCT/ KLIA), do drop by at Aunty Aini's. You won't be disappointed.
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